Black cohosh

 The white flower spikes of black cohosh, Actaea racemosa, are beautiful. The spikes are called racemes. They are full of little flowers — thick and long. The shape reminded me of a fox’s tail.

Actaea racemosa is a plant of the East and so is new to me. I’m sure of the identification only because volunteers were planting some native plants south of Stone Mountain, and I had to ask. 

I admire the volunteers and the work they’re doing. But I can’t help smiling when people with shovels are talking about native species. The concepts of “native” and “invasive” make sense only if we presume the existence of humans with gardening tools. 

But I am sympathetic: One volunteer said black cohosh will grow where hostas grow. She was trying to replace the hostas in her garden with natives. I’ll see if I can find black cohosh when we go to the nursery.